Lost
by doctorfan90
Summary: A dark secret from Rumplestiltskin and Regina's past comes back to haunt them. Rumplestiltskin struggles to save his marriage with Belle, as Regina embraces the result of what happened.
1. A Familiar Stranger

The bell on the front door rang as he finished dusting the last shelf behind the counter. He turned around with a sweet smile on his face, as he was expecting his wife. However, the moment he saw this now familiar stranger, his smile quickly fell as he felt his jaw drop and the feather duster fall to the floor. He had only seen her once as an infant, many years ago, but he knew exactly who she was. How could this be possible!? He was never supposed to see her again. The young dark-haired woman standing in front of him had enough magic inside her to destroy him.

As she walked toward the counter, she smiled sweetly at him. "Hello. Are you Mr. Gold?" He tried to pull himself together. He couldn't let her see the fear that was rushing through his body. "Yes. How can I help you?" he asked hesitantly.

"My name is Lucy and I just got into town. I'm only here for a few days, but I saw your shop and thought I would stop in. I like collecting antiques and rare items from the places I visit. I was hoping to look around for a bit."

He smiled. "Of course. If you'll excuse me for a minute, I need to take care of something in the back." She nodded and began looking at objects on the counter.

As he walked in the back, he couldn't believe how beautiful she was. She took after her mother, which meant he needed to keep her hidden as long as possible. As soon as people saw her, they would start talking. Her short, dark brown, wavy hair and devilish brown eyes gave her a striking resemblance to her long lost relatives. He needed to call Regina right away.

When he reentered the front room, Lucy was still looking around at the many magical items his shop. "Are you finding everything alright?"

She smiled and nodded. "Yes, thank you. You have a lot of interesting things in your shop. I bet they have fascinating stories behind them."

"You have no idea. But if you don't mind, I'm meeting a friend of mine outside. You can look around as long as you like." "Thank you, Mr. Gold." Rumplestiltskin exited his store and met Regina by the side of his shop.

"This better be good, Gold." He smirked as Regina approached him. "Trust me, dearie. It is." Rumplestiltskin reached into his pocket and pulled out a small vial containing a purple potion. "I need you to take this."

"You expect me to take a potion just because you tell me to? How stupid do you think I am?"

"Regina, it is extremely important that you take this. You don't remember now, but once you take this, you will. Just this once, you need to trust me." Regina reluctantly took the vial from him and slowly opened it. "As soon as you drink that, I'm going to say one name, and you'll see why this is so important." Regina drank the potion and blankly stared at him. Rumplestiltskin looked into her eyes and quietly said, "Lucy."

At once, Regina stepped back in total shock. "Gold, why would you mention her? Why did you make me remember her?"

"Because she just walked into my shop, dearie."

Regina shook her head. "How could you possibly know that? We took that potion together. We agreed we didn't want to remember that she existed, that that night never happened."

"I know we did, but I took a slightly different one, and I'm glad I did. I made it so if I were to ever see her again I would recognize her right away. She has the ability to be extremely powerful. If she knew who she could be and we didn't know who she was, she could cause both of our demise."

Regina took a moment to regain her thoughts. "What does she look like?"

Rumplestiltskin smiled. "She looks a lot like you. That's why I needed to address this with you right away. People will start to talk if they see her. Can you take her to your house for a few days? I need to talk to Belle before she finds out from someone else. I can't let this destroy my marriage." Regina nodded. "Let's go back in my shop. I'll introduce you."

He reentered his shop with Regina following closely behind him. Lucy placed an object back on the shelf before she turned and smiled at them.

Rumplestiltskin quickly asked, "Did you find something you like?"

"I have my eye on a few items. I'll think about it and let you know. I'll stop back in before I leave."

"Lucy, this is Regina. She is the former mayor of Storybrooke." Regina couldn't manage to say anything and simply stared at her as Lucy extended her hand to shake hers. "It's nice to meet you."

"You as well. Um, Mr. Gold informed me you need a place to stay. I have a fairly large house, and could use the company."

"Oh, I don't want to intrude."

Regina quickly replied,"Not at all. I'd love the company. I was a planning on making an apple pie tonight, and I don't like eating it by myself."

Lucy smiled. "That sounds wonderful. Thank you."

"Why don't you go and get your things. I'll be out in a minute." Lucy quickly waved to Rumplestiltskin as she exited the shop.

"She has your eyes, Rumple." He grinned. "I noticed; and your looks, love." Regina smiled. "Thank you for taking her tonight. I'm going to speak to Belle right away."

"How do you think she'll take the news?"

He shook his head. "Belle, I don't know. She has always been so forgiving and understanding. You and I were both very different people then, and we have changed; she understands that."

"I know she makes you happy, Gold. For your sake, I hope you're right." Regina left the store and Rumplestiltskin took a deep breath as he watched them through the shop window as they walked away.

When he arrived home, Belle was reading a book on the couch. The second he entered the room, she got up and embraced him. She could instantly tell he was preoccupied. "Rumple, is something bothering you?"

He looked into her eyes. "Belle, there is something I need to tell you." He walked her over to the couch and they sat down. "Belle, I have a dark secret from my past that I didn't even remember I had until today."

She looked at him, puzzled. "I don't understand."

"Belle, about nine months before the curse, I had a moment of weakness." His eyes slowly moved towards the ground. "I slept with Regina."

Belle quickly stood up. "You slept with Regina? Regina, like the Evil Queen Regina?"

He got up and stood beside her. "It was a one-time thing for the both of us. It meant nothing."

Belle shook her head in disbelief. "Rumple, why are you telling me this?"

"Because, as a result of that night, we had a daughter."

This took her completely by surprise, to the point where she could barely speak. "You…you have a daughter? With…with Regina?"

He quietly responded,"Yes."

"Why are you just telling me this now!?"

"She was born a few days before Emma. Regina brought her down to my cell for a few minutes so I could see her. I never even held her. The only contact I had with my daughter was when she wrapped her hand around my finger through my prison bars. That night, we decided the amount of dark magic our daughter could have had the potential be more powerful than the both of ours. We knew we had to send her to a world without magic and where she wouldn't be a threat to Regina or myself. So, somehow, when Regina cast the curse, she sent Lucy to the same world as Emma. Before we were sent here, Regina and I took a potion that would make us forget that we ever spent that night together and that we ever had a daughter."

"But why are you telling me this now?"

"My potion wasn't as strong as the one I gave to Regina. She took a potion that would make her forget until I gave her a reversing potion that would give her all of her memories of Lucy back. However, I took one that would allow me to remember our daughter if I were ever to see her again. I needed to ensure that if for some reason she ever came back into our lives, I could prepare myself for the dark magic she could hold. This afternoon, a young woman with short dark brown hair and brown eyes walked into my shop. And as soon as I saw her, I knew exactly who she was."

Belle began pacing, as she was still trying to absorb everything he was saying. "How dangerous is she?"

"I don't know. When I talked with her today, she seemed very nice. I don't know if she knows who she truly is. But Belle, we need to be careful. You know how powerful Emma is as the product of true love. Could you image how powerful the child of pure lust and dark magic could be?"

"I need some time to take this all in. I can't believe she's here."

Rumplestiltskin gently grabbed her arm, "Belle, I'm not that man anymore. I have a dark past. I know that. I hope you can forgive me for my moment of weakness. I love you, more than anything. Please find it in your heart to forgive the monster I once was. And please don't say anything to anyone. The longer we can keep this secret, the safer we all may be."

Belle pulled away from him. "You know, Rumple, every woman from your past always come back to haunt you. Cora tried to kill you, Zelena controlled you, Milah left you and you ended up killing her. And you were still just Rumplestiltskin, the son of a coward, when you married her. Then, you had some one-night-stand with Regina, you got her pregnant, and you have a daughter together, who could happen to hold enough magic to kill us all. Don't you see how messed up all of this is!? Because of your lack of better judgment, you're destroying our marriage and my life!" She stormed out of the house, and all he could do is watch her leave their home as she slammed the front door behind her.


	2. Mixed Feelings

Regina was pulling her apple pie out of the oven when she heard a knock at the door. She gently put the pie on the cooling rack and hurried to answer it, hoping that Robin had come to surprise her. When she opened the door, her smile quickly disappeared when she saw Belle standing in front of her with tears running down her face. "I would have thought I'd be the last person you would want to see."

Belle shook her head in disagreement. "No, that would be Rumplestiltskin." She paused for a moment. "I…I just needed to find out for myself if it was true."

Regina, for the first time in her life that she could remember, became full of total shame. "Unfortunately, it is. Belle, I never meant to hurt you. I didn't even remember anything about her until Gold gave me that potion this afternoon."

"Regina, I don't know what to do. I love him so much, and I know he loves me. But he still manages to hurt me more than I ever thought possible."

Regina had no idea to respond to her. She knew the feeling quite well, but she had no idea where to begin. "This might seem like a weird question, but would you like to meet her? She's in the other room."

Belle took a step back. "Wait, she's here?"

"Yes. Gold asked if I'd watch her for a few days. She looks a lot like the both of us, and as soon as people see her, no doubt they will put two and two together, especially Emma."

"I don't know what I'd say to her. What does one say to their husband's daughter as a result of a one-night-stand with another woman?"

Regina shrugged, unsure how to answer that question. "Unlike Gold and myself, she is actually quite nice. I think you two might have a lot in common. We are just sitting down to eat apple pie. Would you like to join us?"

Belle hesitated, but then decided that she needed to meet her husband's daughter. "That sounds nice. Thank you."

Belle started walking through the door before Regina stopped her. "You were the first thing on his mind when he realized who she was. He was terrified that this would destroy your marriage. For once, he wanted to be completely honest with you. He really is trying to be a better man. It may take a long time, and a lot of patience, but he is really trying. However, how long you want to wait is up to you." Regina moved aside, letting Belle in, before closing the door and following her into the kitchen.

For the first few minutes, they sat eating their pie in complete silence. "Thank you very much for the pie, Regina, and the hospitality."

Regina smiled. "You're very welcome. Why don't you tell us more about yourself?"

"Well, I've done a lot of traveling in my life. My dad was in the military, so we moved around a lot. I think that's why I love to travel so much. I have a brother. He's my dad's son. My dad and his high school girlfriend were seventeen when he was born. When we were younger, he lived with his mom most of the time, so I didn't see him often. But now, I love going to see him in Oregon. I actually spend most of my summers there. Oh, and I love writing. I've been working on a book since I finished college, but I am really struggling how to end it."

Belle suddenly became very interested with what she had to say. "You're a writer?"

"Well, I'm trying to be."

"Sounds fascinating."

Not wanting to talk too much about her book, Lucy quickly changed the subject. "I was thinking about going for a hike to try and wear off some of this pie. Would you two like to join me?"

Regina shook her head. "I think I'll pass. I've had quite a long day."

However, Belle quickly agreed. "I'd love to go, but I don't have the right shoes for a hike."

"Oh, no problem. I have an extra pair of shoes upstairs. I'll be right back." Lucy hurried upstairs to her room, leaving Regina and Belle alone.

"Regina, she seems wonderful."

"I can't believe I actually made something so…kind."

"You know, you weren't always the Evil Queen, and you can be very kind." Regina smiled as Lucy came back into the room. "Ready to go, Belle?"

"Yes. How about I show you my favorite trail?"

Lucy and Belle began talking about their lives as they walked through the woods. "So, like I was saying, my dad was in the military, but he was forced to retire a few years ago. He lost part of his leg in a bombing. My mom was pretty much a stay-at-home mom. She did try to run for city council once, but that didn't work out." Lucy looked at Belle who was staring off in the distance. "Is something on your mind?"

Belle hesitated, but decided to open up to her. "Just marriage problems. I don't know if you'd understand."

"I was almost married once to a guy that I met in Oregon when I was visiting my brother. Well, we were talking about getting married. Anyway, I found out that he was a liar and a thief, and that he had been cheating on me with some blonde. I was devastated. What kind of man goes around lying to the woman he loves? But, I'm glad that we didn't end up together. As soon as I found out the truth, I couldn't take it. He hurt me too badly."

"It seems like you have experienced some of the same things that I'm going through."

As they continued walking, they could see the entrance of the cemetery. Belle bent down and picked a few flowers before they continued walking towards her stepson's grave. "Regina said you met my husband at his shop earlier?"

Lucy stopped. "Yes. That nice man is your husband? I can't believe he'd lie to you. He seems like such a good guy. And just from the short time I've known you, I'd say you belong together."

"Thanks, but like all couples, we have our problems. If you don't mind, I'd like to put these on his son's grave."

Belle walked past a few more graves before stopping at Neal's and laying the freshly picked flowers against his headstone. Lucy walked up behind her and slightly gasped when she read Neal's name. Belle turned around, "What's wrong?"

"The man I almost married, his name was Neal Cassidy. They can't be the same guy. The man I loved never had a family, he didn't mention having parents. What a coincidence that they have the same name?"

Belle stood still in shock for a moment. "We should probably head back. It's getting late and Regina is probably wondering where we are." Lucy started walking back they way they came, with Belle following behind her. She looked back at Neal's headstone one last time in disbelieve before they exited the cemetery.

Belle rushed in the front door of their home as she yelled for her husband, "Rumple! Rumplestiltskin!" He quickly entered the room to meet his wife.

"Belle, where have you been? I've been worried about you."

Belle tried to talk as she was still catching her breath, "Your daughter's life…is almost identical to what she would have had with you and Regina…Her father's leg was injured in battle, and her mother ran for a city council."

"That could just be circumstantial, Belle."

Belle frantically shook her head, "No, gets even weirder. She almost married a guy from Oregon who was a thief and who cheated on her with a blond woman. And this man she was going to marry shared the same name as your son. Honestly, I think she was about to marry Baelfire!"

"No…no. That's not possible. So you're trying to tell me that my daughter almost married my son?"

"I know it sounds strange, but they would have had no idea about each other. There are just too many similarities with her life and ours to be a coincidence."

"I don't believe that she would almost marry her own brother. And how do you know all of this?"

Sensing his anger, Belle began backing away from him. "It doesn't matter."

Rumplestiltskin quickly stopped her, "No, you're going tell me how you know all this."

She reluctantly responded, "I went to talk to Regina. But I didn't know Lucy would be there. We ended up going for a hike in the woods and she told me about her life. Rumple, I only came back to warn you. She seems very nice, but I think there is something about her… like she's hiding something."

"Did she hurt you, or even mention myself or Regina?"

Belle shook her head. "No, not really. She said she thought we were right for each other. But other than that, no."

Rumplestiltskin smiled. "I have one smart daughter." He tried to lean in and kiss Belle, but she pulled away.

"No, we're not doing this right now. I'm going to bed and you're not following me. Frankly, I don't care where you sleep. Maybe Regina has room for you. You three could live as one happy family."

He was completely taken aback by what his wife just said. "Belle, you don't mean that. I know I made a huge mistake, but I love you. I've never had feelings for Regina."

"You have lied to me about so many things. I don't know what to believe anymore. But if you want to know if you should be afraid of her, you should talk to Emma. She's pretty good at reading people. Maybe I should have talked to her before I married you." She walked into their bedroom and shut the door.

Belle woke early the next morning, but laid in bed for a few hours before deciding to finally get dressed. She didn't want to see her husband, but knew she'd have to face him, eventually. When she entered the living room, she noticed her chipped cup on the coffee table. She knew he must have been thinking a lot about her. Whenever they were in a situation that seemed they wouldn't be able to get out of, he always found comfort in that cup. Belle then heard a squeaking sound coming from the other room. When she turned the corner, she saw Rumplestiltskin at his spinning wheel. He told her once that he used spinning as a way to forget problems he was having, however, she could not remember the last time she had seen him spin. He was more upset than she thought.

He stopped spinning the moment she entered the room. "I was beginning to worry. It's not like you to be in bed this late."

"I'm fine. Thank you, Rumplestiltskin. I was just curious where that noise was coming from."

He stood up and approached her. "Belle, I talked to Emma last night. She is going to look into Lucy and see if she thinks there is anything we need to worry about. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome."

"Can we please talk about this? I love you. I don't want to lose you. I'll do anything to make you happy again."

"I don't know if that's possible. We can't just go back to how things were. Regina is the mother of your child, Rumple! Your relationship with her will never be the same. Our relationship will never be the same. But right now, I have to go. I have some legal issues to take care of." Belle turned to walk out of the room.

Rumplestilitskin stood there for a second, confused, before following her down the hallway. "Belle, what kind of legal issues would you…Oh, Belle. Please...please, no. I'll do anything, Belle. Please don't do this."

Belle continued to walk out of the house with her back to her husband. She didn't want him to see the tears running down her face, but she could tell by the sound of his voice that she wasn't the only one. The moment the front door shut behind her, she heard him yell and glass shatter against the wall. She could tell how much this was hurting him too. Was she making the right decision?

Belle knocked at Dr. Hooper's door, still uncertain about what she should do. "Belle, come in. I've been expecting you."

"Did Rumple call you? Did he threaten you?"

"Nothing of the sorts. He called because he was hoping I could talk to you." He motioned for Belle to sit down on the couch across from him. "He really loves you, Belle. He would do anything to make you happy. That's why he asked me to give you these." He handed her a large envelope as she sat on the couch.

Belle was shocked, he really asked him to do that? "Rumple, Rumplestiltskin called you asking to give me papers that would end our marriage?"

"Yes. Belle, he knows how badly he hurt you, but he truly loves you. He would do anything to make you happy. And if that means having to loose you, he's willing to do that. But before you sign them, I'd like you to talk to you about how you feel about all of this."

At the sheriff's station, Emma was working at her desk when Rumplestiltskin walked in. "Mr. Gold, I was just finishing up on that project you asked me work on."

"Were you able to find anything?"

Emma stood up from her desk and went to grab a file out of the file cabinet. "Actually, I have. But I found nothing out of the ordinary. Everything Belle told you checks out. She was adopted when she was 1 month old, her father was in the military, and she is extremely bright. She was valedictorian of her high school graduating class, and she graduated college with honors. She'd been working as a journalist for a small-town newspaper for a few years before deciding to work solely on her book."

"That's it? That's all you've found?"

"Yeah, there isn't much on her. I seriously can't believe she's your and Regina's daughter. I thought she would have had some evil streak in her. No offense. Maybe she takes after the people you used to be, the spinner and the woman who was in love with the stable boy."

"Well, thank you for your time, Miss. Swan." He tuned to leave the station, but Emma stopped him. "This may be none of my business, but how is Belle taking this?" He gave her a stern look. "You're right, it's none of your business."

"Oh, that well. If you want me to try talking to her…" He cut her off, "You've already done enough, Miss. Swan."

He was hoping that he'd feel better after talking to Emma, however, he almost felt worse. It is always easier to hate someone who is evil. But how do you hate someone that's done nothing wrong, especially when it's your own child? He didn't know where to go. He didn't want to go to the shop, and home would just be too depressing without Belle, but where else could he go? He kept walking the streets of Storybrooke and somehow ended up at the docs. He sat down on the bench thinking about all the times that he almost lost Belle and how they always found their way back to each other. When she lost her memories, they were able to reunite because he never stopped fighting for her. When he died, she found a way, with the help of his son, to bring him back. But now, one mistake, made so many years ago, was what was finally going to tear them apart. Maybe her heart couldn't take any more. She was right; he had lied to her about so many things. After all, he made their marriage start out with a lie, no wonder she was having such a hard time with this. He knew, deep down, that she always had doubts, but she would never let him see them, until now. After thinking a while longer, he knew he was making the right decision. He loved her, but if he wanted her to be truly happy, he needed to let her go.

As he got up to begin his lonely walk back, he saw Lucy running down the beach. "Hi, Mr. Gold. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Just thinking, dearie. Out for a night run?"

"Yep. It helps my mind shut down before I go to sleep. Otherwise, I'm thinking about too many things. Would you like company on the way back into town? You look like you don't want to be alone right now."

"I wouldn't mind company."

They began walking back towards town before Lucy broke the silence. "I had a lovely walk with your wife last night. You're one lucky guy to have a wife like that."

He quickly snapped at her, "Was lucky."

Lucy sheepishly backed off. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realized the issue she told me about was that bad. Is there anything I can do?"

"No, you can't. I made a mistake, a long time ago, and now that mistake came back to haunt me."

Lucy abruptly stopped walking. "You mean, me."

Pure fear swept across his face. "What are you talking about, dearie?"

"I know I'm your daughter. Just look at me. I look so much like my mother, and when I look into your eyes, it's like looking in a mirror."

Anger started building up inside him. "Who told you that? Who told you that you're my daughter!?"

Lucy became stricken with fear. "In the letter, he said his name was Peter. I'd been looking for my birth parts for so long, and a few years ago, out of nowhere, I received a letter telling me where I could find you. The letter said nothing about you having a wife; otherwise I wouldn't have come. I wasn't trying to destroy your life. I just wanted to see who you were."

"So, do you know who you truly are? Who I am, and who Regina is?"

She hesitated for a minute. "Do you mean the daughter of the Dark One and the Evil Queen? But I don't know what shocked me more, finding out who my parents are, or finding out that I almost married my half-brother."

"What do you want with us?"

"For now, nothing. I just wanted to meet you."

He knew the one question he had to ask her, but he was deathly afraid to hear the answer, "Are you like us?"

She hesitantly nodded. "Magical, yes. I have some powers, but I don't really know how to use them. I didn't know about them until a little after my 28th birthday. I was hoping you and my mother could teach me. I have been pushed around most of my life and I'm tired of it. Teach me how to be like you."

Rumplestiltskin pondered for a second, then backed away. "No, you don't know what could happen when you start using magic. All magic comes with a price."

She walked toward him, "I don't care. I want to be like you. I want to be powerful. And the only way that I can be as powerful as I know I can be is with your help. Please, papa. Help me be like you."

"Why are you calling me that!?"

"Isn't that way Bae called you…papa?"

He kept backing away from her. "You're nothing like my son!"

She began approaching him once again. "That's because he was born before you became the Dark One. I'm the product of pure evil, daddy. What else would you expect from your daughter? I don't want to hurt you, I want to work with you, be as powerful as you."

As quickly as he could, Rumplestiltskin disappeared in a puff of red smoke, and she yelled after him, "You coward!"

When he appeared back at his shop, Belle was sitting on the floor, waiting for him, holding the envelope that Dr. Hooper had given her. "Belle, what are you doing here? You need to go home, now. You're not safe here."

She stood up, and looked him in the eye. "It doesn't matter. I have your papers."

"Belle, we can't talk about this now. We need go get home. You were right, thanks to my father, she does know that she is my daughter. She wants me to teach her how to use magic. She wants to be powerful as I am. We need to get you home, now."

Belle didn't understand how Peter Pan had anything to do with his daughter's return. "Your father? He's dead. How could he possibly have anything to do with Lucy showing up in Storybrooke?"

"Explaining that will take too long. We need to leave, now!" He pulled her in close, and they disappeared in a cloud of smoke

When they appeared in their bedroom, Belle shouted, "Rumple, let go of me!" she yelled as she squirmed out of his arms. As soon as she was free, she reached under their mattress and pulled out his dagger. "I demand you to tell me what is going on."

His face fell. She had only used the dagger against him once before, and he thought she's never do it again, "Belle, please."

She was even more furious than before. "You are going to tell me what I want to know! Now, what is going on!?"

"You were right, she wants to be just like me. My father sent her a letter a few years back telling her who her birth parents were, and who she really is. She wants me to teach her how to use her magic. Belle, do you have any idea how powerful she could be? How dangerous she could be?"

Belle walked toward the corner of the room, "If you're scared of her, I could only imagine."

He slowly walked toward her and placed his hand on her arm. "Belle, that's not only why she's so dangerous."

She turned around to face her husband. "What do you mean?"

He sighed, "She's so dangerous because when she asked for my help, I actually considered it. Do you have any idea how powerful we could be? We could be unstoppable."

"Rumple, you have to be joking. I thought that wasn't you anymore."

"I know, Belle. And that's why I need you. I need you to help me become the man I want to be, for you. I don't want to be that monster you originally fell in love with. I want to be a better man. But when she called me papa…it was so hard for me to resist helping her. She's my daughter, and she needs me, she wants me to help her. The hard part is knowing that I shouldn't help her. I need to abandon my daughter, once again."

"Rumple, I don't understand. These papers you had Dr. Hopper gave clearly indicate that you don't need me or want me in your life anymore."

"Belle, I'd be lost without you. You're the only person that makes me want to me a better man. I love you, more than you will ever know. I want you to be happy. I only had him give those papers because I thought that is what you wanted."

"I don't know what I want right now, Rumple. I do love you, but you really hurt me."

"I know I did, and I will do whatever it takes to make it up to you. But right now, I need to know you're safe. That is the only thing that matters."

He ran his hand down the side of her hair, running his fingers through it while he stared into her eyes. "Belle, I'm so sorry. You don't deserve this, and I know I don't deserve you." He kissed her on the check and then waved his hand casting a protection spell over their home.

When Lucy returned to Regina's house, Regina was waiting for her in the living room. "How was your run?"

"Pretty good. I ran into Mr. Gold at the docs. It sounds like he and Belle might be trough. It's too bad; I really liked her. I thought those two were pretty good together."

Regina was not surprised by this. "That's too bad."

Lucy sat next to her on the couch. "Could I tell you something, Regina?" "Sure." "I think I may stay in town longer than I expected."

"So, you really like Storybrooke?"

"I do. And besides, my family is here." Regina tried to hide the uneasiness flowing through her body.

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you're my mother and Mr. Gold, or should I say Rumplestiltskin, is my father."

Regina quickly stood up. "How do you know that?"

"As I told Rumplestiltskin, I received a letter a few years back telling me who I actually am and who my parents are. And you know what the best part is? I have powers just like you, and I was hoping that you could teach me how to use them."

Regina couldn't believe what she just said. Her worst fears about her daughter were coming true. "You want me to teach you. Why?"

Lucy got up and stood next to her mother. "Can you imagine the team that we would make? No one could stop us as mother-daughter duo. Not even my father."

Regina thought it about it for a moment. How long has she been the student to the master? Maybe this was finally her time to be on top. She was coming to her for help, not her father. This was her time to show Rumplestiltskin he wasn't as powerful of a wizard as he thought he was. "You have a deal."

Lucy hugged Regina. "This is going to be great. We're going to be the most powerful mother-daughter that exists. Which includes Emma and Snow White." Regina thought back to the time when she and Cora thought they would be unstoppable. Though that didn't turn out the way she thought, maybe, now with her in charge, things would be different.

The next day, Rumplestiltskin went to the sheriff's station to have a chat with Emma. "Miss. Swan, please explain to me how you managed to miss that my daughter knows who she is and that she, indeed, has magic?"

Emma was completely taken aback by this, "Mr. Gold, I don't know what you're talking about. There is nothing in her records that would…"

He quickly cut her off. "My son cheated on her with you, and you're telling me you know nothing about her besides what those papers tell you?"

Emma began backing away from him. "I honestly don't know any more than that. And what are you talking about? Your daughter had a thing with your son!? Do you hear yourself?"

"Well, dearie, last I checked, you didn't know who my son was either when you met him."

"Well put. But what do you want me to do about it?"

He approached her once again. "I want you to get her out of this town as fast as you can. The longer she's here, the longer we're all in danger."

"What do you suggest, Gold? I can't just kick her out of town."

"You're the sheriff. You'll think of something. And if you can't, you'd better hope that that mayor mother of yours has an idea." Before she could say another word, he disappeared from her sight.

Emma knocked on Regina's door as she tried to catch her breath, but she was startled when Lucy answered the door. "Oh, hi Emma. Regina went to lunch with Henry. You're welcome to come in though, if you'd like."

Emma walked inside. "So, how do you like Storybrooke?"

"It beautiful. I love going for hikes and runs down by the docs. There always seems to be something interesting going on down there."

"What about the people. Have you met anyone besides Regina?"

"Do you mean like my father?"

"If you want to go right to the point, then, yes." Lucy walked toward the table and picked a dark red apple out of the fruit bowl. "You know, Emma. You and I are more alike then you'd probably care to admit."

"Why would you say that? Last I checked, you and I couldn't come from more opposite families."

"Our parents may be on different ends of the spectrum, but our experience couldn't be more alike. We were both abandoned as babies, put into the system. We even loved the same man; the father of your son, from what I am told. And most importantly, we both have magic. Emma, we can be so powerful if we just knew how to use our magic to its full potential. Don't tell me that you still don't feel abandoned? Like an outsider?"

Emma shook her head in opposition. "I don't know what Regina told you, but my parents love me. They had to give me up so I could save an entire kingdom. They didn't have a choice."

"Everyone has a choice. My father could have fought to keep me and raise me himself if Regina didn't want me. Or since Regina knew no one would remember who they were one the curse was activated, she could have kept me, and no one would have been the wiser. But instead she sent me through this portal to live a different life, to be a different person than I was meant to be. They never loved me. I was the accident from hell for those two. I would have gotten in the way of my father searching my for my 'precious' brother, and my mother is too self-centered to care about what happened to me."

"I know your father hasn't changed much, but your mother on the other hand, she's not the same person that she used to be. She adopted my son, and she has been a great mother to him. She loves him, and she could love you too. Just give her a chance."

"I want to hurt them like they hurt me. I want them to feel abandoned and alone like I felt for all these years. I don't want to love them, and I don't need them to love me. Why would I want that when revenge is so much better?"

"Trust me, I've thought that so many times, but revenge is not the answer."

"Are you forgetting, I'm my father's child? Revenge all I know. We could make our parents pay for the pain they put us through. Think about it."

With a snap of her fingers, she was gone and Emma was standing alone in the dining room until Regina entered. "Emma, what are you doing here?"

"Lucy let me in. But Regina, I feel we're going to have a much bigger problem on our hands than I originally thought."

Emma rushed out of the house, got in her car, and drove to the Gold's house. The second she reached their house, she got out of her car and began yelling for the Dark One. "Rumplestiltskin! Rumplestiltskin! Rumpleeeestiltskiiiinnn!"

He rushed out of the house. "You don't have to yell so loud, dearie. What do you want? It's almost midnight, and Belle happens to be asleep."

"Your daughter is out for revenge, and I…I don't know what to do. She knows how to get into your head. Everything she told me about my past, my family, it's all true. And I'm just so angry right now, I could…" As soon as she said this, a surge of magic left her hands and hit the large oak tree by her car, knocking it over.

"Normally I wouldn't say this, but Miss. Swan, come in, let's talk." As they walked toward the house Emma stopped for a second. "I don't know what is going on with you and Belle, but if you truly, truly love her, she's in danger. I think Lucy may come after her. She may find some redemption with Regina, but with you, she wants revenge." He opened up the door and Emma could tell he was becoming concerned. "Let's discuss this inside."


	3. Realization

The next day, all seemed to be calm, unnervingly calm. As Rumplesiltskin walked the streets of Storybrooke, he kept himself on high alert. Emma informed him what Lucy could have planned for him, and he knew the only place Belle was safe was at their home. He argued with her most of the morning about staying in, but she eventually promised that she would not leave, which gave him some comfort. As he approached his shop, he noticed a light on in the back room. He slowly entered the shop, observing everything around him. Every object seemed to be in its place. Maybe Henry was finishing up his chores for the day. "Henry?" He received no reply and he continued walking toward the back of the shop. When he entered the room where he kept his most powerful objects, he saw Lucy making objects disappear and then reappear again in her hand.

"Oh, hi, daddy. I thought I'd show you what I've learned so far." He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The only person that ever learned magic that quickly was Zelena.

"How did you learn to do that?"

"You really don't what to know how, as much as you want to know who taught me." She placed the small brown box in her hand back on the counter. "But you should know the answer to that question already. It's parenting 1-O-1. When one parent doesn't give their child the answer they want, they go to the other."

"I was never a father long enough to learn that rule. Bae's mother left when he was very young. I'm all he ever had. And if there is something you haven't learned about me, dearie, what I say goes."

"You can try to scare me all you want, dad, but I'm not scared of you. And really, I'm sure you have other things you may want to worry about."

"I feel you're my priority." Lucy disappeared and Rumplestiltskin rushed into the main area of his shop where Lucy was sitting on the counter.

"I heard my stepmother might not be my stepmother much longer."

He became very uneasy. "My marriage is none of your concern."

She laughed, "You actually think you still have a marriage, that you ever really had a marriage? Belle has been so blinded by trying to make you a better man that she continuously failed to see who you truly are. You're a man that values power over life, love, and family. That is the only one true love you have ever had."

"I love Belle!"

"I never said you didn't. I simply said that power is your one, true love."

"She knows who I am, and she still loves me."

She got off the counter and looked her father in the eyes. "I don't think she's blinded by love any more, papa. It just so happens that this afternoon, I saw her having a wonderful time with some of Robin Hood's men. And let me tell you something…they seemed pretty merry when she showed up."

Becoming overwhelmed with anger, he quickly grabbed the collar of her shirt. "You're lying! She promised me that she was staying at our house. Belle never breaks a promise."

Lucy grinned. "You lie to her all the time. Your entire life with her has been filled with lies. Maybe she finally learned something from you." She snapped her fingers and she vanished into a light blue cloud of smoke.

Rumplestiltskin followed the smoke coming from the campfire where Robin Hood's men were gathered around, drinking and laughing. The moment they saw him, they immediately got up and backed away. "Where is my wife?" They remained silent as they stood staring at him in the dark. The silence quickly broke as Rumplestiltskin heard Belle's laugh coming from a tent.

As he walked toward the area of the camp where he heard his wife's laugh, Will Scarlet exited his tent, topless, almost running into him. "Mr. Gold, I…" Before he could finish, Belle followed him, wearing not much more than Scarlet's leather jacket and holding a bottle of liquor. "Rumple, what are you doing here?"

"I should ask you the same question. You promised me you were going to stay at the house."

Belle struggled to speak. She had just been caught in her own lie. She knew Rumplestiltskin had lied to her so many times and he could smoothly talk his way out of them. However, lying was a new thing for her, and the words didn't come out as smoothly. "I…I was sick of sitting around the house all by myself and I went for a walk. I, um, ended up running into these nice men, and they fed me lunch. I spilled beans on my cloths and Will gave me some of his to wear until mine dried."

"After knowing me for so long, Belle, I would expect you to be a much better liar."

Will interrupted, "You would think your ex would have taught you better, love." He kissed her cheek and Belle smiled. "Go back in and lie down, sweetheart. I don't want you to get cold. Let us men have a heart-to-heart." She obliged and went back into his tent without saying a word to Rumplestiltskin.

"What are you doing with my wife?"

"Well, first of all, according to those papers you gave her to sign, she's no longer your wife. Secondly, I think it's pretty obvious. Do you really need to ask?" He looked back over his shoulder and peered into his tent at Belle. "She's a feisty little thing, but you already knew that."

Rumplestiltskin quickly pushed his finger into Will's chest. "Listen to me, Scarlet. She is the love of my life and I'm not going to lose her without a fight. You might want to ask the Sheriff what happened when he tried to take her from me. He'll tell you, it didn't end well."

"I'm not trying to take her from anyone, I'm just looking for a good time. And from what I can tell, so is she." Rumplestiltskin made a fist, debating about punching him in the face, but then quickly disappeared from sight.

When he arrived back home, he saw the papers sitting on the kitchen counter, and at that moment, he was forced to face reality. He picked up the papers and flipped through them, stopping at the page which bore Belle's signature. He stared at that line in total despair. All he needed to do was sign those papers and his marriage would be over. She really had moved on. He had the small possibility going through his head that she was just acting out, that she just needed to express her anger, but she'd forgive him and come home. In his mind, he would have forgiven her, just like she had forgiven him so many times before. However, any possibility of that happening was completely gone. She was no longer the young, innocent woman that willingly went with him, giving up her freedom to save her father's kingdom. She had become a very strong, experienced woman who knew what she wanted, and that was no longer him. He was certain she hadn't known love like theirs before she met him. Now, not only had he allowed her to fully love him and give herself to him as his wife, he caused her all the pain and anger that Milah had once caused him. She loved him unconditionally, and he took full advantage of that. He slammed the papers down on the counter and walked back towards the living room. Her chipped cup was still on the end table where he left it. That little cup, that once brought him so much hope, now caused him so much pain. He picked up the cup and threw it against the far wall and watched it shatter into many small pieces. Seeing it destroyed was still not enough to please him. He walked over and crushed it even more with his foot before punching his hand through the wall.

Back at Regina's house, Lucy's training was coming along better than expected. Regina couldn't believe how quickly her daughter was learning how to use her magic. She thought back to all those times Rumplestiltskin tried to teach her simple things, and how they took her days to learn. However, with Lucy, she was able to do the same things almost instantly. He was right. Their daughter really was extremely powerful. What else should she expect from the daughter of the Evil Queen and the Dark One. "Should we call it a night, Lucy? I'm sure you could use a break."

"That's up to you, mom. I'm alright."

"How about we finish that pizza we ordered from Granny's and talk for a bit? I'd like to know how your day was."

Lucy grabbed a slice of pizza and sat down on the couch. "My day went pretty well. I was just exploring the town, and took a walk in the woods…I wonder how my father is doing?"

"He seemed alright the last time I saw him."

"Well, maybe I shouldn't pry."

Regina became very curious about what he daughter was referring to. "What do you know?"

"Uh, nothing, really. Don't you have a hot date with Robin Hood tonight or something?"

"I did, but he got called back to the camp. There was an issue he had to attend to…Wait, you know what happened, don't you?"

"My father's problems are none of my concern."

"What did Rumplestiltskin screw up now?"

Lucy smirked and cleared her throat, as she tried to keep herself from laughing. "Well, as far as I know, he didn't screw up anything. It was Belle that was doing the screwing."

"What could she have possibly…" Regina suddenly understood what Lucy was saying. "No, not Belle…Really, Belle? Are you sure you have the right woman? I don't believe Belle would ever cheat on Rumplestiltskin. She loves him."

"Maybe she finally had enough. I mean, I know he's my dad, but the guy is kind of a selfish ass."

Regina chuckled, "I guess. But you have no idea how dangerous he is when he's mad. This can't be good."

"It's late. I'm sure he won't be any danger tonight. Besides, he's probably still in shock knowing that the love of his life is sleeping with another guy. He needs time to think of a plan. He won't want to act on this without a plan."

"I guess you're right. He can be a man to act without thinking, but with something this drastic, he's going to have a plan."


	4. Broken

He had been spinning all night trying to forget about everything that happened at Robin Hood's camp. Seeing Scarlet shirtless, the love of his life wearing nothing but his jacket holding a bottle of booze in her hand. The more he thought about it, the quicker he spun. He heard the front door open, but he couldn't find the strength to get up. He heard her heels against the wood floor as she walked closer to him, but that didn't matter. She was no longer his. "Rumple, can we please talk?"

He slowly turned around to look at his wife. Her hair was messy and she wasn't as put together as usual. He looked down that the brown paper bag she was holding. "I have hamburgers. I thought we could talk over lunch." He got up and started walking out of the room. "I don't know what there is to talk about."

"Rumple, please."

"What do you want me to say, Belle? That I completely understand why you left me, that it's alright that you slept with Will Scarlet, that I've moved on too, that I'm alright with another man taking me wife, again!? You have no idea the anger, the betrayal that I felt seeing you with him last night!"

Belle slowly handed him a burger on a plate with a packet of catsup. "I don't expect you to be happy, but I was hoping that you would understand."

"And what is it that you want me to understand, dearie?"

She could tell by the tone in voice that it wouldn't be long before his true dark side would take control of him. "How it feels to truly love someone, and then have them tear your heart into so many pieces that you don't think it will be possible to ever put them back together."

They sat down at the table across from each other. "Oh, you want me to feel exactly how I've felt before. You want me to feel like that coward I used to be, the one that was crushed when Hook stole my wife. The man that thought the love of his life was dead for 28 years until she happened to walk into my shop one day. The man that saved the woman he loves life, but she lost all of her memories of him and there was nothing he could do to fix that except call her when he was dying to tell her how much he loved her. Is that how you want me to feel, Belle? Is that who you want me to be!?"

Belle knew the angle he was trying to take, but she knew that if she really wanted out of this relationship, she'd have to play the same game. "How about you look at this through the eyes of a woman who loved a man that she knew was a monster, but deep down, she thought there was more to him than he even knew. How about you try to feel how heartbroken she was every time she found out how he was lying to her, deceiving her, but yet she tried to hard to see the little good there was in him. Try feeling how hard she fought for him, as he repeatedly made it harder and harder for her to keep turning a blind eye and making excuses for him, understanding that he was a man that had been hurt and abandoned so many times before. But there is a point when that woman, no matter how tough she may seem on the outside, becomes completely destroyed on the inside. Rumple, I have tried over and over again to help you see the man that you could be, but every time, you keep choosing to stay in the darkness. Don't you understand? This isn't easy for me either. But for once, I'm doing something that I learned from you...I'm putting myself first."

He knew she was right. She had tried so hard for so long to make him a better man, to make him the better version of himself that he once was. He told her, when she was still Lacey, that she made him want to be that better version of himself, but he knew that was a lie. He liked being the Dark One, a man with power. The beaten, coward, old version of himself had nothing. The last time he almost lost her, when they talked in the library, he was honest with her. And at this moment, he knew he had to tell her the truth. The only way he might ever get her back was to let her go. "Belle, I know that you have been fighting to see the good in me since we first met. But, honestly, I believe it has been a waste of your time. I wanted to believe that you loved that man that I am, that man that values magic and power more than anything. I shouldn't have let you continue to believe that I could be a changed man, because, frankly, I don't want to change. This is who I am. You are so young, so easy to trust, and I took full advantage of that. You were blinded by love, and I took advantage of you. Everyone else knows exactly what I am, but with you, it is so easy to hide my true self. That's why I love you. When I took you from your father's kingdom, I wanted a companion, so I didn't have to be alone. But I made the horrible mistake of letting myself fall in love with you. And I shouldn't have. When you lost your memories and thought you were Lacey, that was the only time I could really be the man I am. And the funny thing is, you loved it when I beat the sheriff, you loved knowing that I was a man that would let nothing stand in the way of something I want."

"Is that truly what you believe?"

"Yes, Belle. It is. Because that is the truth."

"Well then, I guess this is really it. We're over." She slowly got out of her chair and walked over to him, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I'll be back for my things tomorrow. I'll be staying in the library caretaker's apartment if you need anything." She began walking towards the door, but then stopped and turned around, looking at him one last time. "Goodbye, Rumplestiltskin."

As he heard the door shut behind her, and he whispered to himself, "Goodbye, Belle."


	5. Anger

When he arrived at his shop the next morning, Lucy was already waiting for him. "What could you possibly want now, sweetheart?"

"I just came by to see how you were doing, papa. I heard about what happened the other night."

"Oh, so you did, did you?"

"Well, actually, I kind of 'guided' Belle in the direction of Will Scarlet. He's always looking for a good time."

Rumplestiltskin lashed out at his daughter once again and grabbed her by the throat. "And why would you do something like that?"

"Because from what I'm told, your magic is at its peak when you're angry. I wanted to see how powerful the great Dark One can really be. I haven't fully seen what can become of my magic."

"If you haven't learned yet, dearie, all magic comes with a price, and this is going to be a big price to pay." He began squeezing her throat tighter and tighter. Suddenly, his hand started burning and he was tossed backwards by a bolt of magic.

"See daddy. I can play this game too. Are you really that surprised that the daughter you feared so much when I was only a week old is actually someone that can defeat you? That might just have more power than you?"

He looked down at his hand, examining the temporary damage that was done, before quickly healing himself. "That just isn't possible. No one is more powerful than the Dark One."

"Well, you may have power, but one thing you will never find is happiness. And you know why? Because, this power you value, can be taken away from you much easier than you thought, and you are so paranoid about how you can maintain it, that you lose everything and everyone you love. And here's the thing, I don't have anything or anyone to lose. So that little weakness that you have, I don't. When you finally figure out that working with me is the best thing you can do, come find me. You want power...I've got power."

He watched her as she left the shop, and he mumbled to himself, "Your magic may be exactly what I need."


	6. Apology

A few quiet days went by, which startled Regina. Knowing Rumplestiltskin, the quieter he is, the more dangerous he becomes. She walked into his shop expecting to see his wrath, but instead she experienced an uneasy calm. "I haven't seen you in a few days, Gold. Is everything alright?"

"Are you seriously asking if everything is alright? I just lost the woman I love because of a mistake I made with you, and you're asking me if I'm alright?"

"Ok, that was a bad question."

"Indeed."

"I don't really know why I'm saying this, because last time I checked, it takes two people to make a baby, but I'm sorry about that night. I'm sorry that I allowed myself to be weak. You taught me how to be strong and to not let anything stand in the way of getting what I wanted. I don't think one night of severely bad judgement fits into that lesson." She paused for a moment, waiting for him to respond, but he said nothing. "I think you deserve happiness, Gold. I know you don't see it as a man that has gone through so much suffering in his lifetime, but don't you want to be happy?"

He smirked at her question. "Power is my form of happiness, dearie. Always has, always will be."

"So, you've given up on love? The man that so long ago thought he was unloveable, until a sweet young woman showed you that she could love you, and you that you could love her, has given up on love?"

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have. Love has brought me nothing but pain. Power has gotten me everything I wanted and it will continue to get me everything that I need."

"Understandable. I now see where our daughter gets it from."

"Speaking of Lucy, it seems that your private lessons with her have been coming along nicely. She's a much faster learner than you were. No offense."

"How do you know about that?"

He walked around the counter towards Regina. "Well, let's just say she's stopped by a few times and I've seen what she can do. We were right to send her away from our land. She would have caused nothing but problems for us."

"I don't know what you consider a 'problem', but even after we sent her away, I believe she is still managing to cause problems."

Regina started walking out his shop before turning around before opening the door. "I don't know what you've got planned, Gold, or what she's done to you, but I do know that she is very powerful. And if you're looking for a fight, you're going to get yourself caught in a war." The bell above the door rang as she left the shop. He looked at all the items in his shop knowing very well he needed to do to rid his daughter of her magic.


	7. Gift

Belle was hanging the last picture on the wall of her new apartment when Regina walked in. "Regina, this is a surprise."

"I heard you moved out, and I just wanted to see your new place."

"What do you think?"

Regina looked around at all the bright colors on the walls. "You can tell the Dark One for sure doesn't live here. It's very...colorful."

"I needed a change."

Regina sat down on the couch. "Speaking of that, Belle, I want to apologize for what happened between myself and Rumplestiltskin. I know how it feels to have your heart broken. And as a woman who has found love again, I want the same for you."

Belle shook her head, not understanding what Regina was implying. "I don't understand. Rumple was my true love. It was him that didn't love me."

"Since I feel responsible for this, I want to give you something to help make amends." Regina reached into her pocket and pulled out a small vile of pixie dust. "This is my last bit of pixie dust. Tinkerbell gave it to me, and I've been holding onto it for a rainy day." Regina handed it to Belle.

"What do I do with this?"

"This will help you find your one true love. I know you believe that is Rumplestiltskin, but after everything you two just went through, I have a feeling that you're beginning to have your doubts. When you're ready to really find out you're meant to be together, dump the dust into your hand and blow it into the wind. It will lead you to the person you are destined to be with."

"Thank you, Regina. But I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet."

She tried to hand it back to her, but Regina refused. "You don't have to use it now. Use it when you're ready. However, you have to be certain that you are ready to accept the outcome. Don't make the same mistake that I did with Robin. It can ruin both of your lives."

"How can this ruin your life? I thought pixie dust was light magic?"

"It is, but you, more than anyone, should know that all magic comes with a price. This can lead you to true happiness. But if you take the same path I did, and not approach your true love, then the price is...well lets just say, you might end up living with many struggles. Just look at everything I've been through, and am still going through because I was afraid to walk to up Robin that night in the pub. I too chose power over love. But the difference between me and Rumplestiltskin is that I regret it."

"Thank you, Regina."

"You're welcome." Regina got up and started to leave before turning around. "I know this may not take you back to Rumplestiltskin, but I hope that you will accept the result and have your happy ending."

Belle smiled at Regina as she left the apartment. Belle knew she had a lot to think about. She had never imagined that loving anyone else was possible. She had never loved another man like she loved Rumple. She was still fairly young and wanted to much more out of her life. Maybe this would be what she needed to start over.


	8. Beginnings and Endings

When Rumplestiltskin arrived back home, Lucy was sitting on his couch reading spell books. "How did you get in here?"

"I have my ways. It's been a few days, have you thought more about my offer?"

He hung up his coat and scarf, taking a minute before addressing his daughter's question. "I have."

"And your decision is…?"

"I can teach you much more than Regina can. Darker, more powerful magic. That's only if you're up for it."

Lucy quickly got off the couch. "Definitely!"

"Well then, meet me tomorrow night at the old abandoned manor in the woods. I'm sure you know the place, since you've been spending a lot of time out that way."

"Yes, I know the place. But why there?"

"Lots of space. And if we blow a few things up, no one will notice."

"Probably a good idea."

"Good, then I will tomorrow at sundown. If you don't mind, I would like the rest of my day to myself to prepare for tomorrow."

"No problem. See you tomorrow, dad." Before he could say another word, she disappeared from his sight.

When he walked into the kitchen, he noticed his dagger sitting on the kitchen table along with Belle's ring and a note with is name on it. He quickly opened the envelope and read the letter from his ex-wife.

_My Dearest Rumple,_

_I know things didn't turn out the way you would have imagined for us. I hoped this would have ended differently as well. I trusted you with all my heart; however, you have shattered it into more pieces than I can put back together. I always had faith in you and trusted you, even when no one else did. But now, I feel that my faith and trust is gone. For that, I blame myself. I chose to ignore the wicked things you did, the hate you still hold deeply in your heart, and your constant need for revenge. I chose not to see the monster. When you asked me to marry you, you gave me this dagger and told me that you that you trusted me with your heart as well, and that you would always be mine from that day until all the future. Since we are no longer together, I know this no longer belongs to me. I don't know where you keep your real dagger, but it doesn't seem right for me even to keep the copy. The moment I fell into your arms back at your castle, I didn't only fall from a ladder, I fell in love. I never wanted you to put me down. The first time I kissed you, no matter what you thought then or now, that was true love. Our relationship has always been far from easy. I have lost you so many times, but we always managed to find each other. However, this time, there is nothing left to find. Though you may once again be an enemy of love, know that you will always be loved._

_Your Darling Belle_

_P.S. Your daughter does need her father. She feels abandoned and alone. If there is one thing yet you can do for me, it is helping your daughter. Things didn't work out for you as a husband, but that doesn't mean you can't figure out how to be a good father. _

He refolded the letter and placed it in his inner right suit jacket pocket, close to his heart, along with her ring. He picked up the fake dagger of the table and carried it with him back to his bedroom. Not knowing if he would ever need it again, he placed it under the mattress where Belle had once kept it. He knew it wasn't the best hiding spot, but at this point, it didn't really matter. It was fake after all.


	9. Decisions

Weeks went by and, much to Rumplestiltskin's satisfaction, Lucy's magic became more powerful than even he could have imagined. He could tell that she was still taking lessons from Regina, but he was fairly certain Regina had no idea where she was spending her evenings. Things also quieted down between himself and Belle. The town seemed to stop talking about their quickly ended marriage. People started learning who Lucy was, but to them, she so sweet and kind. She put on even a better act than he did. However, he knew Emma and the Charmings were keeping a close eye on her, which for some reason, was comforting. Henry was back helping him at the stop and seemed to hit it off fairly well with his aunt, sister, or whatever she was. He was fascinated by Henry's deep interest in all sorts of magic. He didn't just care about what certain spells could do, but also how and why things worked and the history behind it all. He really was becoming a great apprentice. But what really topped it off, was he knew that every day with Lucy's magic becoming more powerful, he was getting one day closer to stripping her of her magic and taking it as his own.

Belle kept busy in the library. People came by once and awhile, but her most frequent visitor was drunk Will Scarlet. She still didn't understand why every night he got drunk, he'd always break into the library. She found him asleep in the isles more times than she could count. Besides a broken lock, he never did much damage. Every day was becoming easier for her to accept that her marriage was over. For the first time, since she gave up her freedom to be his servant, she was a free woman. Even when she was still living in her father's kingdom, she wasn't free. He had arranged that she would marry Gaston, and that would have been worse than marrying the Dark One. She never loved Gaston, but at least she was able to find love with Rumple, even if it wasn't for long. She always carried the pixie dust with her, constantly thinking about using it. However, she couldn't find the courage she needed to use it. Part of her wanted it to lead her right back to Rumple, however, the other half feared that it would. She wanted answers, needed answers, and she had what she needed to find them, but she was too scared to discover the truth. She needed to take that leap of faith and find out the truth. She wanted her happy ending.

The doorbell rang and Robin rushed to answer it. "Oh, hi, Robin. I was looking for Regina. But I can come back some other time."

"No, please. Come in. We were just having ice cream."

Belle entered the house and was soon greeted by Roland. "Are you going to finish your ice cream, dad?"

"You can finish it, if you'd like." Roland grinned from ear to ear as he ran back into the kitchen passing Regina on his way.

"Belle, this is quite the surprise. Would you like to join us for some ice cream?"

"No, that's ok, but thank you. I was actually hoping that you could help me with something."

"I'll let you two ladies talk." Robin kissed Regina on the check as he left to join his son.

"What can I do for you?"

"I want what you have. I want a child that loves me, I want to smile like you do every time the man I love kisses me."

"Belle, I gave you the pixie dust so you can have that."

"I know, but I'm scared. Part of me wants this to lead me right back to Rumple, but the other half hopes that it won't."

"That alone should tell you something, Belle. If you believed he was really still your one true love, you would believe that with all your heart."

"I know, and that's why I'm scared. Will you come with me?"

"Me, you want me to come with you? I'm the one that caused your marriage to break apart."

"Yes. And you're not the only reason our marriage ended. But you're the only one that knows I have this, and I don't want to do this alone."

"Alright, if you're sure. Let me grab my coat and then we'll go find your happy ending."

They followed the green stream of pixie dust flowing through the air of downtown Storybrooke. All signs so far pointed to Gold. Regina was having a hard time believing that she was actually meant to be with Rumplestiltskin after everything he put Belle through. Suddenly, her cell phone rang. "Swan, this is not a good time." She paused for a moment listening to what Emma had to say. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen Lucy in days. She said she was going to check into a room above Granny's so Robin and I could have some time alone. Have you tried looking there?" Nothing but concern began filling her body. She knew sightings of Gold the past few days have been scarce, and that he very well could be the reason for her disappearance. "Let me finish up what I'm working on, and I'll meet you at the station."

Belle, sensing her concern, stopped and turned around. "You think he has some hand in this, don't you?"

"I'm don't know anything right now. She could have gone to spend some time with Robin's men at their camp. I mean you did…" Guilt fell across Belle's face. She looked as though she could cry. "Oh, I'm sorry Belle. I didn't mean it like that. It's just when no one could find you, that's where you were."

"It's ok. It's true."

"We should keep walking. You don't want to lose track of that pixie dust." They continued walking past Gold's shop, which shocked Belle. But what really surprised her is the pixie dust lead her to her father's shop. "Belle, why would this lead you to your father's shop?"

"I'm just as surprised as you are. Maybe Rumple's in the shop."

She rushed over the the window and Regina followed. The man surrounded by a green glow was a muscular man with dirty-blonde hair and appeared to be an employee "Wow, Belle. Who is that? I didn't know anyone was working for your father?"

"Neither did I."

"I should really get to the station. Emma needs my help. Can I trust you that you will go in there?" Belle nodded. "Ok, good luck." As Regina left she looked over her shoulder at Belle still staring through the window. She hollered back at her before disappearing from Belle's sight. "Go."

Knowing very well that she no longer had a choice, Belle took a deep breath and entered her father's flower shop. The moment the bell above the door rang, the stranger turned around and instantly, Belle's face dropped. "Adam?"

He put down the pink rose in his hand and ran towards her. "Belle." He picked her up in an embrace and swung her around before setting her down. "Belle, it is so good to see you."

"Adam, for all of these years, I thought you were dead."

He shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Belle. When I found out you were engaged to Gaston, I couldn't bare to return in the kingdom."

"I never married Gaston. I never loved him. It was an arranged marriage."

"But your father told me that you did marry."

"I did. I mean, I was. But not to Gaston."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Any man that let you go must be crazy."

"Well, I wouldn't call him crazy. I don't know if you've heard of him, but maybe you have. I married Rumplestiltskin."

Adam took a step away from her. "You're the Dark One's wife?"

"I was, but I'm not anymore. We ended our marriage a few weeks ago." She walked toward him and took his hands in hers. "I'm a free woman, Adam. You don't have to be afraid of him. Whatever we had, it's over."

Adam smiled. "I don't want to step out of bounds on this, because I'm sure that you're still in pain, but would you like to try to continue where we left off? I'd love to take you out sometime."

Belle smirked. "That would be wonderful."

"Good." He handed her the pink rose that he was holding when she came in, and then kissed her on the cheek. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yes, I believe so. But I work at the library until 7."

"That's perfect. I'll pick you up at 7:01."

"You were never one to waste time."

He wrapped his arms around Belle, pulling her close to him. "Well, that's because when we were sneaking around. We didn't have much time together, sweetheart." He kissed her on the forehead before releasing her from his grasp. "I need to get back to work before your father gets back. But I'll see you tomorrow."

Belle left the flower shop happier than she had ever been. She owed more to Regina than she would ever know. As she walked down the streets of Storybrooke, back to the library, see kept smelling the beautiful rose he had given her, and she couldn't help but smile. However, she had no idea Rumplestiltskin was following her. He quietly kept his distance as she began humming before walking through the doors of the library.

As Rumplestiltskin departed from the library, he couldn't believe what he saw. Belle was happier than he had ever seen her. She never hummed like that when he was with her, not that he knew of anyway. And her smile was so genuine. It had been so long since she smiled like that. He wanted her to be happy, which meant he had to let her go. But he wasn't going to accept that. Not yet, anyway. But in the meantime, Regina had to pay.


	10. Payback

When he arrived at Regina's he blew open the door and marched into the entryway where he was stopped by Robin, with Roland following closely behind him. "Rumplestiltskin, what do you want?"

"This is none of your concern, dearie. Where is Regina?"

"Why would I tell you?"

"Because if you don't want that boy of yours to become an orphan, you'll tell me what I want to know."

Robin quickly stepped in front of his son. "You leave him out of this. He has nothing to do with your issue with Regina."

"Maybe not, but you do." Rumplestiltskin flicked his wrist and sent Robin flying across the room into a cabinet full of dishes.

Roland quickly rushed to his side, screaming, "Papa."

Rumplestiltskin stopped for a moment. He knew that voice all too well. That is how Bae cried out for him when he was frightened, when he needed his father more than anything. That was the sound of his voice right before he let Bae fall through the portal. "Take that as a warning." He left them, leaving the young boy to tend to his father.

Rumplestiltskin arrived at the only place that he had not yet looked for Regina, her crypt. She was leaving when he stopped her. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Um, home."

"I'd think again." He pushed her up against the side of concrete crypt.

"Gold, what has gotten into you?"

"What did you do to Belle?"

"What are you talking about? I've done nothing to her. She was fine the last time I saw her."

"That's the problem, love. She's better than fine. She's happy."

"I thought that's what you wanted, for her to be happy. And now she is."

"But she's not with me. There's a difference. What did you give her?"

"I gave her a way to find out an answer to the question that had been on her mind since you two split; are you her one true love? I'm sorry that the result disappointed you."

"Why would you do that?!"

"What, help fix her life when I was part of the reason it was ruined to begin with? Unlike you, Gold, I've changed. I'm happy, and I didn't need power to make that happen."

"You may want to talk to Robin about about."

"What did you do to him!?"

"Don't worry dearie, he's alive. Just a few scratches."

"If you ever touch one more stand on his head or hurt his son, you are going to have a much bigger problem on your hands."

"Oh, did I forget to tell you? Our daughter won't be an issue for me much longer. So I will have plenty of time to deal with you."

"What did you do to her?"

"Nothing yet, dearie. Things like this take patience."

"Where is she, Gold!?"

"And why would I tell you that? So you can save her and destroy my plan. I don't think so."

"Are you seriously going to hurt your own child!?"

"As far as I'm concerned, Bae is my only child. I don't how you are going to figure out your family tree with your son, that is really your great grandson, Roland, and Lucy, but I will leave that up to you."

"Are you really that shallow? I was there when you first saw her. I remember the way you looked at her. Is lying to yourself so much easier than accepting reality?"

"Frankly, my dear, it is."

"She's the victim here, Gold. Stop pretending like you are. Everything that is happening to you is because of decisions you made. Because you value power more than everything, it has clouded your judgement so much that you can't seem to realize that you're doing this to yourself. Why can't you see that?"

"Because power is all I ever had, and power is all I will ever know. I came here to warn you. Stop getting involved with things you shouldn't be. Otherwise, you might find yourself in a worse situation than your beloved is right now." He disappeared from her sight in a cloud of red smoke.

Regina immediately called Emma. "Swan, I think I might know where Lucy is and I think she might be in trouble."


	11. Danger

When Emma arrived at the manor, Regina was already there looking through the windows. "Can you see anything?"

"No, not really."

"Can you not get in?"

"Well, considering who we're dealing with, I thought it would be best if we went in together."

"Good point." As Emma went to open the door, she was shot backwards from a bolt of magic. "Thanks for letting me take that..." Emma stated sarcastically.

"I told you this would require more than one of us." Regina began using light magic to open the door and Emma joined her once she got back on her feet. Within a few moments, the door was blown open. They both entered extremely cautiously as they began searching the house for Lucy, not knowing if she was dangerous or in danger.

Lucy surprised them as she came from around the corner. "What are you doing here?"

Emma quickly responded, "You're ok?"

"Yeah. Of course I'm ok. Why wouldn't I be?"

Regina quickly budded in. "Because your father is out to hurt you."

Lucy shook her head in disbelief. "You've got it all wrong. He brought me here to teach me more powerful magic."

"Well, he brought me here to take my magic, so you can see why we're a little skeptical."

Lucy was very confused. "What are you talking about?"

Emma quickly replied, "We don't have time to get into this here. We have to get you out of here before your father comes back."

As they began to exit the manor, Lucy was shocked by a bolt of magic, knocking her to the ground. Emma quickly turned around. "What was that?"

"I don't know. But it won't let me out of the house."

Emma turned to Regina. "Do you think we can break it?"

"I don't know. Gold's magic can be tricky."

"It's not worth the risk. You need to leave before he comes back. I can take care of myself."

Both Regina and Emma hesitated. "Go, you don't have much time. Really, I'll be fine."

They departed from the house, knowing they had to think of a plan, fast. Lucy smirked as they drove away. "I think they bought it."

Rumplestiltskin joined her in the doorway. "I couldn't have done better myself." He kissed the top of her head. "You're more like your old dad than I thought."


	12. Date Night

Belle was checking her hair in her hand mirror when Adam walked into the library. "You've always been beautiful." He kissed her on the cheek before handing her the gift he had behind his back. "This is for you." He handed her a medium rectangle box with a bow on top.

Belle blushed. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. You haven't even opened it."

Belle slowly took the lid off the box and pulled out an old tattered book. "A book?"

"It's the book you gave me before I went off to fight in the Ogre War."

"You kept it, all this time?"

"Of course. I've only read it about two dozen times."

"I can't believe you still have this."

"Until now, it was the only thing that I had left of you."

Not really knowing what to say to him, she quickly changed the subject. "Where are we going tonight?"

"I was thinking we could relive old times. How does a picnic sound?"

"That sounds perfect." He extended his arm to her and she wrapped her arm around his, pulling herself as close to Adam as possible, as they left the library.

They had been on their date for hours and it was going better than Belle could have expected. They watched the sun set and were now laying under the stars. She was impressed that Adam brought enough blankets and hot chocolate to keep them warm for most of the night. "Thank you for such a wonderful night, Adam. I'm having a wonderful time."

"Only the best for you."

"So what do we do from here? My father is going to be shocked when he finds out about us."

"I can handle your father. You have to remember, next to Gaston, I was his most trusted soldier."

"But things have changed so much since then. I mean, I was married to the Dark One."

"Let's move past that. I'll forget about it if you do." Belle began to laugh.

However, she was quickly cut off by her ex-husband. "I don't know if that would be in your best interest."

Adam quickly stood up to defend Belle. "What are you doing here?"

"Thinking about why I didn't let you die."

Belle quickly stood up and joined Adam. "Adam, what is his talking about?"

"It's nothing, Belle. It was a long time ago. Besides, Dark One, I believe we're square on our deal."

"Deal, what deal? Adam, what did you do?"

Rumplestiltskin began mocking him. "Yes, Adam, you wouldn't want to start out your relationship with a lie, would you?"

"He saved my life during the Ogre War. I gave him something so he would save my life. And we're even. So you'd best be going on your way, if you know what's good for you."

"Is that a threat, dearie?"

"And what if it is?"

Belle stepped in the middle of them. "Stop it right now, both of you!"

"If you ever step foot near Belle again, you're going to have another problem on your hands, Dark One."

Belle quickly turned to her former lover. "Why are you here, Rumple?"

"I wanted to make sure that this beast wasn't going to harm you."

"He isn't going to hurt me. And I'm a grown woman, Rumple. I can take care of myself. You have no right to keep doing this. I'm free to do what I want, whenever I want, with whoever I want. What part of we're through don't you understand?"

"I've fought for you once, and you came back. Why would I not fight for you again?"

"Because this is different, Rumple. Before you fought for me to regain my memories of you, you wanted me to remember why I loved you. Now, I know everything, which is why we can never be together. Adam is my one true love, not you."

Adam looked at Belle, completely stunned by what she just said. "Really?"

She slightly nodded before addressing the Dark One once again. "Rumple, I'm sorry, but if you're not going to leave, we will." Belle picked up their things and the two of them walked off, leaving Rumplestiltskin alone in dark.


	13. What's the Plan?

The next morning, Belle awoke to the sound of a whistling kettle. Assuming it was Rumplestiltskin, she quickly put on her robe and rushed out of her room. To her surprise, Adam was standing in her kitchen, wearing the same clothes he had on last night. "Adam, what are you doing here?"

"I wanted to make sure that he wasn't going to bother you again. I seriously can't believe you married that guy."

"He still loves me, Adam. He won't hurt me. He keeps showing up to taunt you."

"I don't want to take any chances. He's still the Dark One, Belle. You know what he's capable of. He's killed people that he loved, what makes you any different?"

"I don't know."

"Exactly. So, I'm here to protect you."

Belle quickly switched the topic. "Can we talk about last night? I know what I said may have been...awkward."

"Maybe for him."

"Adam…"

"Sorry, what would you like to talk about?"

"What did you give him in return for sparing your life?"

He reluctantly answered, "The handkerchief you gave me when we first started seeing each other."

"The white one with the yellow lace? Why would he want that?"

"To this day, I'm still not certain. I don't know if he knew about us so he wanted something of yours to help make you fall in love with him. All I do know is that I regret giving that to him. As long as I had that with me, it gave me courage, and a reason to keep fighting."

At that moment, she realized why he wanted that small memento. "That's exactly why he wanted it. You gave him the one thing he never had...courage."

"How could that small piece of fabric give him that?"

"Love has a funny way with magic. I'm sure he needed that for a courage potion or spell."

"How do you know all of this?"

"I read a lot. And secondly, I was married to him. I learned a thing or two about how he thinks."

"Couldn't he just have used night root or something?"

"He wouldn't want to use that. The side effect of that magic is more than he'd want to deal with. Remember, he always looks for the easy way out."

"But if he's so powerful, why would he need a way to make courage?"

"That's what worries me. I need to get the library right away."

Belle began heading back towards her bedroom he stopped her. "Before we go and try to figure out what the Dark One is up to, you need to know something. In regards to what you said last night, about me being your one true love, I've felt that same way about you since the moment that I first laid eyes on you." He leaned and and placed a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. "Now, lets go stop that arrogant ex-husband of yours."


	14. Heart to Heart

Lucy's training was almost complete and Rumplestiltskin couldn't have be more pleased. His daughter surely took after him, more so than Regina. As the days went by, his excitement grew as he watched her magic become stronger.

"So what do you think, dad?"

"I couldn't be more proud."

"I feel like not doing enough...like I can learn more."

He walked over to her, and placed his arm around her shoulders. "Things like this take patience, my dear. You have no idea how long it took me to get this powerful."

"50 years?"

Rumplestiltskin laughed, "That is the blink of an eye in my lifetime. I'm immortal, dearie."

"Well, you learn something new every day." Not knowing how he'd react to her question, she asked him quietly, "What's it like, being immortal?"

He thought for a moment. "I couldn't imagine anything better."

"But isn't it hard, slowly losing the people you love most? Your family is gone, and you're on your own. Don't you get lonely?"

"Once you experience this kind of power, there are not many things that you miss."

"Then I'm glad I'm learning from you. Who needs feelings when you have power?"

"Exactly. And that's why I need you."

"I'd be happy to help you, papa. What do you need me to do?"

"In due time, dearie. In due time."


	15. One Last Fight

Belle and Adam tore apart the library looking for any potion or spell that would give them a clue to what Rumplestiltskin could be planning.

Adam slammed the book he was reading down on the desk in frustration. "Belle, we have been looking through books for hours. How do you know he hasn't used it for a potion already?"

"I was married to him. I know more about him than he even knows. Trust me, if he needed courage for something, he hasn't used it yet. He always turns to magic to get what he wants. Whatever he plans on using it for, it's big."

Belle continued flipping through books until she found something that might be useful to them. "Adam, I think I might have found something, but I'm not certain. I have a spell book that I took from Rumplestiltskin in my room. I need to get it."

Adam quickly stopped her. "No, you should stay here. Being in a public place is much safer than your apartment. I'll get it and I'll keep Sultan here to protect you in case he shows up." Adam whistled and a tan and brown medium sized, fluffy dog came running to his side from the back of the library.

"Adam, I'm sure I'll be alright. You have nothing to worry about."

"Please, it would make me feel better. Stay here with him and I'll be back shortly." He kissed her on the cheek before address his dog. "You protect her now, boy. If that evil man comes back, you rip his leg off, alright."

Belle laughed as Sultan laid down by her feet.

Adam was almost to Belle's apartment when he heard rustling from behind him, causing him to turn around. "Seriously, you need to stop following us. Next time I see you, I'll make sure you never see Belle again."

"I feel you're full of empty threats, dearie. You know very well that you can't kill me."

"Trust me, the moment I find out someone discovered a way to actually kill you, I'd be first to volunteer. What do you want?"

"I want to fight you for Belle."

Adam laughed, "You? You want to fight me for Belle? And how do you imagine we do that?"

"A gentleman's fight."

Suddenly, a sword appeared in Adam's hand. "A sword fight?"

"I had the opportunity to do this with a different man, many years ago, but I was too much of a coward to fight for the woman I loved. Now, let's just say, I"m a different man."

"You do realize I've fought pirates and ogres?"

"And I've killed more people than you'd think. Let's just get on with this."

Rumplestiltskin jabbed his sword at Adam, but his sword was quickly stopped by a swift move of Adam's blade. The two circled in the street, and all that was heard was grunting and clinking of metal. Their fight quickly ended as they heard the sound of a barking dog coming towards them. Adam turned the direction where he could hear Sultan approaching, leaving Rumplestilskin the opportunity to strike his arm. When Adam realized what happened, the Dark One and the swords disappeared as Belle and his loyal friend joined him in the street.

"Adam, what happened? Are you alright?"

Adam removed his hand from the wound on his arm to see how much damage was done. Blood started trickling down his forearm and off his hand. "Your ex-husband really needs to realize he can't win this fight"

"Let's get you inside so I can bandage your arm."

Belle led them inside before sitting him down in a large chair in the middle of her living room. Sultan laid down next to his master's feet as Belle got hot water, a rag, and bandages for Adam's arm. She sat down on the floor next to their protector as she began cleaning the gash in his arm.

Adam flinched as soon as the hot rag touched his arm. "Ah, that stings."

"Sorry, but I need to make sure that it's clean. Do you want to see Dr. Whale?"

"For this, no. I'll be fine. But your ex is crazy, Belle. What did you ever see in that man?"

"There used to be a part of him that was still good. He could be a sweet man, and he did love me. But he stepped too far into the darkness, and now I'm afraid he can never come back."

"I might have some idea about what he was waiting to use the potion for. Before he stabbed me, he mentioned something about being a coward, but now he is a different man. Do you think he used it?"

"Maybe. Hook wanted him to fight for Milah, but he refused, knowing that he'd die. However, the man you just fought was a very different man. Which makes him extremely dangerous."

"What do you think he's going to do?"

"From what I found out, he needs this potion to give him enough courage to do something that he never thought he could do. He needs it to conquer one of his greatest fears. However, from what I could tell, he's going to need a lot more magic."

Adam thought for a moment. "Like the amount of magic he could take from his daughter?"

"If that's the case, Lucy is in a lot of trouble. But I know how he felt about Bae. He'd never hurt him. Do you think he'd hurt Lucy?"

"You were married to him. What do you think?"

"He may be a very conceited, selfish man, but when it came to Bae, he would had done anything for him. He looked for him for years and he fought every day to find him."

"Well, then maybe we don't have to worry about her at this moment. We need to focus on figuring out his plan."

Belle finished wrapping his arm and looked up into his eyes. "How does that feel?"

"Much better. Thank you, sweetheart."

Belle stood up and began walking back towards the kitchen before Adam gently grabbed her arm. "Thank you for taking care of me. I know I should be the one taking care of you."

She smiled. "You're welcome. And you have been taking care of me. You just fought off Rumple for me, didn't you?"

Adam stood up, never breaking eye contact with her, and softly requested, "Please, Belle, let me take care of you."

"Adam, what do you..."

He leaned in and passionately kissed Belle. "I've been waiting so long to be with you, and I know I can love you like he never has."

Belle smirked, now, knowing very well what he meant. She had waited a long time for this too. When he left for the war, she had given up all hope that she would ever be with him. "You know I was married before?"

"Very much so. I have the battle wound to prove it. But, Belle, I love you more than he ever could. The love I have for you is so much stronger than anything he could have felt for you. I love you with my whole heart, something he could never do."

Belle kissed him back before he swiftly picked her up in his arms and walked them into her bedroom, shutting the door behind them.


	16. Operation: Badger

The Council decided to meet in the mayor's office. Normally, back in the Enchanted Forest, they would have assembled at the round table, however the rectangle board meeting table would suffice. Regina, due to knowing the most information about the matter, sat at the head of the table. Emma was to her left, followed by Hook and Henry. Belle and Adam were to her right, with Charming and Snow White next to them. Regina stood to address the Council. "You all know why we're here. We need to figure out what Gold is up to and what we need to do to stop him. Belle has informed me that she believes he is working on something so big that he needs a courage potion to enact his plan. Emma and I discovered that he is holding Lucy captive in the old manor in the woods, so I believe our daughter has something to do with this as well. Any thoughts?" She sat back down in her chair.

Adam quickly spoke, "He is extremely dangerous. He has been practically stalking Belle and myself since they ended their marriage. Not to mention he sliced my arm with a sword. He's out for blood."

Emma added, "Yeah, revenge is kind of his thing."

Hook agreed, "Aye."

Regina asked them, "So what do you purpose we do? We can't just wait around here and wait for his plan to unfold. By then, it would be too late to stop him."

Henry budded in, "Use me. He is my grandfather. If anyone is going to get closest to him right now, it's me."

Emma objected, "No way, kid. It is way too dangerous."

"Mom, please, let me help. If he was going to hurt me, he would have done it by now. I'm in his shop all the time, and nothing's happened."

Regina happened to agree with Henry. "Emma, maybe we should let him. He may be the only way we have to find out what Gold is really up to. He'd have much easier access than the rest of us. I'm sure we can always use Charming as a look out for Henry."

David agreed, "Of course. Wherever my grandson goes, I go."

Snow asked Regina, "So is our only plan to let Henry try to get close to him? Shouldn't the rest of us try to do something?"

Regina responded, "No, that's just part of the plan. Emma and I still need to figure out how to get Lucy out of the manor. There is a lot of dark magic surrounding that house, and we need to figure out how to break it. Belle and Adam, I will need you two to continue looking into any possible spells, potions, curses that you can find that might be what the Dark One is trying to use on us. Hook, you've fought off Gold more than the rest of us, you should go with Charming to keep more security on Henry. And Snow, if word gets out the Rumplestiltskin is up to something, the entire town could panic. You need to make sure that no one knows what is going on, and if someone does find out, you need to keep this town under control. Now, I believe that's everyone. Are there any questions?"

Henry raised his hand. "Just one, how about we call this Operation: Badger."

Regina nodded in agreement. "I like it. So if everyone knows what they need to do, Operation: Badger is a go."


	17. Distraction

Weeks passed, and nothing seemed too much out of the ordinary as Henry continued working in Gold's shop. Hook and Charming were always right outside, watching for any sign of danger. Henry continuously tried to have his grandfather open up to him, but he remained unsuccessful.

However, what seemed to be like any other Friday, turned into something quite different. Like every other Friday after school, Henry entered the shop and was greeted by his grandfather. "Ah, Henry. How was school?"

"Same as usual, grandpa. What do you need help with today?"

"Are you sick of sweeping?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"Well then, how would you like some tea before I show you something new?"

Thinking that he was finally going to get some information, Henry smiled. "Sounds good."

He handed Henry a cup of tea and he took a sip. A moment later, Henry collapsed and Rumplestiltskin caught him and slowly lowered him to the floor. "Now that you're out of my way, I can finish working on my plan." He grabbed two small vials out of the vault he hid behind the picture in his shop and left out the back door.

As soon as he exited the shop, he was greeted by Hook. "Where do you think you're going, crocodile?"

"That, dearie, is none of your concern."

"It's not like you to leave the shop in the middle of the afternoon without good reason."

"The shop is in good hands with my grandson. Have a look, if you'd like." He smirked and walked away as Hook hurried into the shop.

David was already inside kneeling on the floor with Henry's upper body in his arms when Hook arrived.

"What happened, mate?"

"I'm not sure. When I got in here, Gold was gone and Henry was on the floor. He seems to be knocked out cold."

Hook mumbled to himself, "I should have skinned that crocodile when I had the chance." He then addressed Charming who was still trying to wake Henry, "I'll call Emma and see if her and Regina can track him down."


	18. Plan in Action

Rumplestiltskin arrived back at the manor where Lucy was waiting for him.

"Did you get what you needed?'"

"Indeed." He handed her the to-go cup of hot chocolate.

"What's this?"

"It's been cold lately. I thought you could use something to help warm you up."

Lucy took a long drink from the cup. "Thank you. Shall we start on this plan of yours?"

"Dearie, we already have."

Lucy wasn't sure what he meant by this. "How so?"

An evil grin spread across his face. "Well, since there is no going back now, I might as well just tell you. See, you are very powerful, and I need more power. So, you're going to give me your power. And once I have your power, then, I can continue with my plan."

Lucy was stricken with fear. "But, I thought we were going to be a team."

Rumplestilskin promptly corrected her. "The only team I'm ever on is my own."

Lucy extended her arms trying to use her magic against him, but he quickly froze her. "There is nothing you can do now, dearie. That hot chocolate you just drank contained two potions: one of which weakened your magic and the other will erase your memory. After I drain your magic, you will have no recollection of this. You will not remember who I am, who Regina is, or even what my father told you. You will go back to living the life you had before you arrived in Storybrooke."

Rumplestiltskin placed his hands on his daughter's shoulders and her power began flowing out of her and into him. All she could do was yell, "Papaaaaa." before collapsing.

He looked at his hands trying to take in his new feeling of power. "I've never felt so powerful. Now, I can finally do what I've needed to do for a very long time."

As soon as she said this, Belle rushed in the room. "Rumplestiltskin, what did you do to her?"

"Only what I've been meaning to do the entire time, dearie. Now, with her power, no one can stop me."

"From doing what, Rumple? What would make you hurt your daughter, and lose your marriage?"

He approached her. "First of all, I didn't hurt her, and she won't remember any of this. And secondly, I believe it was you who left me."

She argued, "Only because of what you've done."

They were then joined by Regina, the Charmings, Adam, Hook, Emma, and Henry. Seeing her daughter lying on the floor, Regina rushed over to Lucy. "Gold, why would you do this!?"

"She's no longer a threat to us, just like we planned. I told you the best thing we could do was send her to a world without magic. And now, she no longer has magic."

Regina stood up and questioned him as her eyes began filling with tears. "You made me give up my daughter, so you could take her powers?"

"The plan took longer than expected, but I succeeded, didn't I? And don't worry, dearie. She won't remember anything."

Regina swiftly responded, "You dirty, rotten…"

He quickly cut her off. "As much as I'd love to stay and listen to this, I have some place more important to be." With a swish of his hand, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Charming mumbled under this breath, "I hate when he does that."

Gold arrived at the magical heart of Storybrooke, the well. He took the courage potion out of his jacket pocket and swished it around in the vial before drinking it like a shot. "Now, this can officially begin."


	19. Home

Before they could comprehend what was going on, they arrived back in the Enchanted Forest. They were dressed back in the cloths they were in when they lived there. Emma had the dress on that Rumplestiltskin had given her the last time she was here with Hook, but Henry still had on his jeans and his black jacket.

Emma quickly put her arm around her son. "Looks like we need to get you new clothes, kid."

Henry chuckled, "Yeah, I guess so."

Regina walked through the massive group of people, joining Emma, the Charmings, and Henry. "The thing we should be worried about right now is who cast the curse to get us back here? One of us must be dead."

Everyone looked around, checking to see if their loved ones made the trip back. Suddenly, Belle emerged from the crowd. "Has anyone seen Rumplestiltskin?" Everyone remained silent and Belle became nervous.

Out if the corner of her eye, Regina saw man wandering away from the crowd with a walking stick wearing a golden brown hooded cloak. "Sir, are you from around here?" The man continued walking away, but Regina used her magic to prevent him from going any further. When Regina approached him, his head was down and the hood prevented her from seeing his face. She swiftly removed his hood and was taken aback by whom she saw. "Rumplestiltskin?" He looked like he had before he turned into the Dark One. He was a man again. "What happened to you?"

Belle rushed to him, pushing her way through the crowd. "Rumple?"

He simply responded, "Hello, Belle."

Belle shook her head in disbelief as Adam joined them and stood by her side. "Rumple, I don't understand."

Rumplestiltskin looked are Regina and asked, "If you don't mind, I'd like a moment with them."

Regina looked at Belle and Adam to make sure they were alright with the idea. They both nodded in agreement, and Regina slowly walked away back, rejoining her son.

Rumplestiltskin continued, "In order to cast the spell, I needed to sacrifice the heart of the one I loved most…"

Adam quickly interrupted, "So how are you not dead?"

Rumplestiltskin calmly replied, "To me, my heart was simply an organ pumping blood through my veins. Sacrificing that would have made no difference. I had to sacrifice everything that I was, everything I treasured in order to bring us home."

Still not sure how that was possible, Belle asked, "What did you need to sacrifice to make yourself a man again, to send us back?"

"Many things were destroyed in creating this curse: Bae's shawl to rid myself of the horrible father I once was; blood from a soldier to represent what caused me follow in my father's footsteps as a coward; Henry's scarf to disconnect me from the terrible example I was as a grandfather; our teacup to part with the love I had for you and the beastly husband that I was to you; and finally, the dagger to permanently part myself from all the magic that I possessed. Now, once again, I'm an ordinary man."

Belle was completely astonished. "You actually gave up your power?"

"Yes, Belle. I did, and I have you to thank for that. You made me realize the one thing I've always been searching for, but never had...a family." He looked over at Henry who was talking and laughing with his mothers, grandparents, Hook, Robin, and Cinderella, who had just given Neal back to his mother. "And now, hopefully, with my powers no longer in the way, I can have that. I owe you more than you will ever know."

"Rumple, you don't owe me anything. You did this yourself."

He disagreed, "Actually, I did it with a little help from Adam."

Adam thought differently. "I don't believe I ever helped you."

"You remember that handkerchief you gave me to spare your life?"

"Yes, how could I forget. Belle gave that to me before I when we started seeing each other."

Rumplestilstin pulled the small white and yellow piece of fabric out of his satchel at his side. "This little piece of material was the key to a courage potion that I used for so long. This is what gave me the courage to allow myself to fall in love again and to have Regina cast the curse to bring us to Storybrooke. I took it again before I asked Belle to marry me and before our wedding. I needed it once again before I challenged you to that sword fight, Adam, and I took the last of it before I cast the curse to bring us back here." He handed it back to Adam. "Thank you."

"You're welcome?"

"Belle, I know I can never fully make it up to you for all of the pain I have caused you, and for everything that I have put you through, but there is something I want you to have." Reaching back in his bag, he pulled out a key and handed it to her.

"What's this for?"

"That is the key to my castle. I took you from the palace where you once lived, and now, I want you to have the life you should of had. Every princess needs a castle."

"We can't take this. That's your home. Where will you live?"

"Hopefully, now that I'm no longer a threat, the Charmings will find a place for me in their kingdom." He smiled at them. "And besides, you will need a place to have your soon growing family."

Belle and Adam looked at each other, not knowing that how he knew Belle was expecting. She sweetly asked, "How did you…"

He cut her off, "You're absolutely glowing, love. You will make a wonderful mother."

Belle smiled again at her past love, something she had not done for a very long time.

Rumplestiltskin added, "And don't worry, that will be our little secret."

Adam put one arm around Belle, and extended his other hand to Rumplestiltskin. "Thank you." Rumplestiltskin nodded as he shook his hand before going to join Henry and his family.

When he approached the Charmings, they were very timid, not sure why he would be coming to talk to them. Speaking on behalf of his family, Charming addressed the former Dark One, "What do you want, Rumplestilstin?"

"Firstly, I want to apologize for everything that I put you through. I know how hard it is to lose a child, and I'm greatly sorry for what I did. Snow White, Prince Charming, I'm sorry that I caused you to give up your daughter for so long. But I needed to find my son, to try and make up for what what I've done. And Regina, I'm so sorry that I convinced you to give up our daughter. I tried to fill that place in your heart by bring Henry into your life. I had a plan to bring us to Storybrooke, and Lucy was the only way I could think of that could bring us back without having to kill myself or someone else. I needed her magic to enact the curse to bring us back here."

He paused for a moment to regain his thoughts," I once was a man who was obsessed with power, but I'm no longer that man. For so long, I have wanted...needed a family, and I was hoping that you could forgive this coward find a place for me in your kingdom, even if it is as a humble servant, your majesty." He bowed to Snow White, something no one ever thought he would do.

Snow White looked at Charming before responding to his request, "I think we can find room for one more."

As everyone said their goodbyes and began departing, Rumplestilskin turned and watched Adam help Belle on their horse, as she mounted the horse behind him. She looked back at Rumplestiltskin and smiled before she and Adam rode off to the beginning of their new future together. He knew this wasn't the original happy ending that he had in mind for himself, yet, he was no longer alone. It may have taken him many years, difficulties, and a heart broken many times, but he finally had the happy ending he was searching for...a true family.


End file.
